After Israeli commandos killed a senior Hamas militant in the West Bank on Thursday, Hamas' military wing spokesman said that "fighters in the West Bank have total freedom to retaliate for this heinous crime."

Abu Obeida, the spokesman of the Iz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said that the Hamas military wing was considering its options in regard to retaliation within the West Bank, asserting that "the blood of the dead will not have spilled for nothing."

"Any target on Palestinian soil is a legitimate one," he said, having also accused the Palestinian Authority in contributing to the killing, according to channel 10 news.

"The home of the shahid was under the surveillance of the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus, and this proves a traitorous cooperation with the occupation. This security apparatus allows the occupation to do as it wants in the West Bank, and to pursue fighters," channel 10 quoted Abu Obeida as saying.

He stressed the fact that the Hamas fighters were given complete freedom to retaliate at any time or place they deemed appropriate, stressing that Israeli attempts to harm the organization will not diminish their will power one iota.